Vandals Damage Flag Pole And Steal Flags From Veteran’s Memorial

It’s one thing to disagree with someone over politics or foreign policy. It’s something else entirely to dishonor veterans and desecrate their memorials.

But that’s exactly what happened in Johnson City, Tennessee, over the weekend. Just hours before a Memorial Day service was scheduled to be held, vandals reportedly stole American and POW flags, and damaged a flag pole at the monument’s location.

“It’s a boot in the face of freedom, veterans and our families who sacrifice and serve,” Brenda Barnette, chairwoman of the city’s memorial board, told the Johnson City Press. She found out about the theft and vandalism on Sunday afternoon, while a ceremony honoring veterans was planned for Monday.

“It’s heartbreaking, really. I mean, to think that somebody lives in our community who doesn’t revere our freedom like we do,” Barnette said. “It’s kind of beyond vandalism, because symbolically, they’re taking the freedom that these people sacrificed [for] and exercising it in a very fallacious way.”

The theft occurred at a stone memorial that lists the names of over 2,000 American veterans. One portion of the granite structure lists soldiers who were either killed or missing in action, while another area honors troops who returned home.

Disturbingly, it’s not the first time that the veterans memorial has been vandalized this year in the eastern Tennessee city. A similar theft occurred three months ago.

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Back in February, according to the Johnson City Press, vandals pried open a lock to access the pulley system of the flag poles. During that incident, a large American flag and a POW/MIA banner were both taken.

Veterans organizations stepped up to replace the items removed during the first theft. According to the Johnson City Press, members of Rolling Thunder, the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans donated new flags at no cost to the city.

No arrests were made after the earlier incident or the most recent theft. However, organizers were able to replace the missing flags just in time for Monday’s Memorial Day service.

All Americans should be able to set aside political differences to honor our troops and remember the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Unfortunately, it looks like some people have much more petty and disrespectful motives.